Investor Initiatives for NCI SBIR Awardees

New Year, New Opportunities

Let NCI SBIR Connect Your Company with Potential Investors

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Development Center is interested in connecting SBIR- and STTR-funded companies with potential investors and strategic partners to continue the research and commercialization efforts initially funded by NCI. To help facilitate the connection, NCI SBIR have come up with different strategies to provide companies with a platform to present their technologies to interested third party investors. NCI SBIR has conducted NCI-specific investor forums from 2009 to 2014 and since 2015, has been organizing Investor Initiatives to connect companies with targeted investors and strategic partners on a regular basis throughout the year. The NCI SBIR Investor Initiatives program provides selected SBIR companies with resources to present at national/international showcases where they can explore partnering opportunities.

This is the fourth year that the NCI is following the new model to support abovementioned investor initiatives. Participation in the investor initiatives will be determined on a competitive basis as determined using an annual application process. This applicationis intended to be used for all of NCI’s investor initiatives starting in late summer 2019 through spring 2020. Based on external reviewer feedback of submitted applications, selected companies will receive NCI support to present at one industry hosted investor showcase. In the last three years, more than 85 NCI SBIR-funded companies were selected to present at various conferences such as BIO, PMWC, ADVAMED, RESI, BioTech Showcase, Life Science Summit and BioNetwork.

For additional details and instruction, view the Application Guide for NCI Investor Initiatives.

Showcases in which the NCI SBIR program has participated in the past or is considering in the future include but are not limited to:

All small businesses who have received a Phase I NCI SBIR/STTR award in 2017 or later or received a Phase II NCI SBIR/STTR award in 2015 or later are eligible to apply. Please note that each company can submit only one application form. If your company has received multiple awards, select the project/product with the greatest commercial potential for an investor event. Companies in all developmental stages are welcome to apply.

Why should you apply?

Our review team includes about 50-60 VCs/strategic partners. Your application will be reviewed by qualified people in your technology area including some of industry’s top venture capitalists and strategic partners that may be looking for deal flow. Past reviewers have included representatives from GE Capital, BD Biosciences, Johnson & Johnson, and Pfizer.

We will provide detailed feedback based on investor review and discussion for your application, giving you a chance to learn how investors and strategic partners are viewing your technology.

NCI SBIR will use the external review to identify and recommend companies for all of NCI’s investor initiatives in 2019 including industry–specific showcases such as BIO or PMWC depending on technology area and product’s developmental stage.

You could receive financial assistance for presenting at investor forums.

The applications brief SBIR program staff on the key parts of your technology in a way that allows us to share your company’s progress and stage with external investors that we network with at many events.